Reflector for hand lanterns



Jan 5,, 1954 w. w. RASHKE REFLECTOR FOR HAND LANTERNS Filed March 2'7, 1950 IN V EN TOR. lV/z 444M Wins/m: B Y M 'Mrx,

4rr0 M/Ey5 Patented Jan. 5, 1954 UNITED] STATES REFLECTOR FOR HAND LANTERNS William W. Rashke, Cleveland, Ohio Application March 27, 1950, Serial No. 152,206

3 Claims. 1 V

This invention relates to the art of hand lanterns and, more particularly, is for an improved form of readily attachable and detachable shade and reflector for a well-known type of hand lantern. The present-day familiar type of lantern, to which my present invention may be applied, and which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, will be readily'recognized by those who are acquainted with the art of hand lanterns.

As is well known, this type of lantern gives a very strong light and is used to a large extent by fishermen at night, particularly when fishing from a, boat. Realizing the strength of the light and the annoyance of such a strong light shining directly inthe eyes of the user, attempts have been made to provide a shade and reflector so as to direct the light more effectively and to protect the eyes ofthe user at the same time. Such previous attachments, however, have not proved practical because of the comparatively involvedmanner of mounting the same upon the lanternaccording to my understanding. 1

It is therefore the object of my present invention to devise a shade and reflector for a hand lantern withmeans of readily removable attachment which is practical, eflicient, dependable and not expensive to manufacture.

Other objects will "appear from the following description and claims when considered together with the accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 is an elevation of such a hand lantern with my present improved attachment applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a perspective tachment alone;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is a view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

It is to be understood'that the present form of disclosure is merely for'the purpose of illustration and that there might be devised various modifications thereof ivithout departing from the spirit of my invention as herein set forth and claimed.

In the type of hand lantern herein illustrated, the frame thereof includes the upright flat members I at diametrically opposite sides thereof; and these members I have outwardly extended. portions la with the intermediate portions lb which are parallel with the main portions of the upright members I. As will be readily understood, the outward spacing of the portions lb permits the extension of the'end portions of the bail handle 2 therethrough for attachment view of my present atof the same. As a means of attaching the bail handle ends, they are each provided with enlarged portions by flattening the same at the points 2a and 2b in order to prevent the same from being accidentally displaced therefrom. That is to say, the flattened portions 2a and 2b will not pass through the holes in the upright portions lb through which the bail handle extends at the ends thereof. Thus far I have described what is already familiar to those who are acquainted with this type of hand lantern.

I will now describe my present attachment which may be applied to the above-described lantern bail handle without any change therein whatsoever. My present form of shade and reflector is illustrated in its entirety in Fig. 2 of the present drawing and comprises only the substantially semi-cylindrical body 3 of sheet material, as for instance metal, which has its upright edges provided near the top thereof with the key-hole recesses each having the flat part 1 and the enlarged round part 5. The flat part 4 in each instance is of such width as to fit snugly over the flattened portion is when the bail handle occupies horizontal position; while the round parts 5 are of just proper diameter to permit turning of the flattened parts of the bail handle'therein, as clearly indicated in Figs. 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawing.

It so happens that the flattened portions 2a extend in a horizontal plane when the bail handle occupies horizontal position and I have availed myself of this condition in applying my shade to the bail handle. That is to say, my shade 3 will be applied in such manner that, with the bail handle 2 in horizontal position, the flattened portions 2c will be received within the corresponding flat parts t of the key-hole recesses; and, when the enlarged round parts 5 of these recesses surround the flattened portions 20:, the bail handle 2 may be turned into either upright position for regular use in carrying the lantern or may be lowered into idle position. When the bail handle 2 is turned to either up right or lowered position, in fact when the bail handle occupies any position except the horizontal position, the flat narrow parts s of the key-hole recesses cannot pass over the flattened portions 2a of the bail handle and thus the shade 3 cannot be removed except when the handle occupies horizontal position.

To explain more specifically, the width of the narrow part :1 of the key-hole recess in each instance is substantially the same as the thickness of the flattened portion 2a while the round or enlarged part of the key-hole recess is of substantially the same diameter as the width of the extended flattened portion 2a. That is to say, the flat portion 2a may be received within and through the corresponding flat part 4 of the key-hole recess in each instance when the bail handle 2 occupies horizontal position; and the flattened portions 2a of the bail handle may be turned within the enlarged round parts 5 of the key-hole recesses so as to permit the bail handle 2 to occupy any desired position, but there is only one position of the flattened portions 2a which will permit the attachment 3 to be removed from the bail handle and likewise there is only one position of the bail handle which will permit application of the attachment 3 thereto.

My shade 3 will be of sufficient height to serve in the manner and for the purpose intended and it will have its inner surface polished so as to more effectively serve as a reflector. Any suitable sheet metal or other opaque or translucent material may be employed in my present attachment according to the degree of light it is desired to direct away from the user. This device can be manufactured and sold at a very popular price; it does not involve any change in the lantern structure to which applied; it is of an extremely simple form of construction; and there is nothing to get out of order as it has no working parts except the regular form of bail handle of the hand lantern and the shade itself.

If so desired, the shade 3 or a part thereof, when made of opaque material, may be provided with louvres in order to permit part of the light rays to pass through the same without causing any annoyance to the eyes of the user, the rest of the light rays being directed away from the user as above explained. This form of construction may be regarded as an alternative of a translucent shade above referred to.

What I claim is:

1. In combination, a hand lantern having a bail handle with horizontally inwardly extending end portions attached at diametrically opposite points to the upper part of the body of the lantern for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis so as to permit raising the bail handle to upright position and lowering the same to idle position, said bail handle being of substantially round cross section and having its inwardly extending end portions provided with parallel flattened portions corresponding to the upper and lower sides thereof when the bail handle occupies substantially horizontal position, said flattened portions being of a thickness less than the diameter of the bail handle, and a light shield of substantially semi-cylindrical form having its upright edges, near the top thereof, provided with key-hole recesses, the straight portions of the key-hole recesses opening at the edges of the shield and being adapted to snugly receive the flattened portions of the attached bail handle when said bail handle is in substantially horizontal position, and the round portions of the keyhole recesses being of suitable diameter to permit rotatable movement of the bail handle therewithin when the bail handle is turned from one position to another.

2. In a device of the class described, a light shield adapted for use upon a hand lantern having a substantially round form of bail handle with flattened portions corresponding to upper and lower sides thereof when the bail handle occupies substantially horizontal position, the flattened portions of the bail handle being of a thickness less than the diameter of the bail handle, the light shield comprising a substantially semi-cylindrical body of suitable material with its upright edges, near the top thereof, provided with keyhole recesses, the straight portions of the recesses opening at the edges of the shield and being adapted to snugly receive the flattened portions of the attached bail handle when in substant ally horizontal position, and the round portions of the key-hole recesses being of suitable diameter to permit rotatable movement of the full diameter of the bail handle therewithin when the bail handle is moved from one position to another in the regular manner.

3. In combination, a hand lantern having a bail handle with horizontally inwardly extending end portions attached at diametrically opposite points to the upper part of the body of the lantern for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis so as to perm't raising the bail handle to upright position and lowering the same to idle position, and a light shield of substantially semicylindrical form, the edge portions of said light sh eld being provided with means for operative engagement with the pivotal end portions of said bail handle so as to support said light shield thereupon, and the end portions of said bail handle being provided with means co-operating with said l'ght shield means so as to constitute a means of interconnection, operatable along a straight line, for effecting or releasing said operative engagement between said light shield and bail handle only when said bail handle occupies substantially horizontal position.

WILLIAM W. RASHKE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 778,274 Rue Dec. 27, 1904 1,035,550 Dietz Aug. 13, 1912 1,143,238 Sutter June 15, 1915 1,739,893 Fedderman Dec. 17, 1929 1,917,990 Mattison July 11, 1933 2,128,767 Currie Aug. 30, 1938 2,135,689 Yeager Nov. 8, 1938 2,243,672 Griflith et a1. May 27, 1941 2,482,543 Jackson et a1. Sept. 20, 1949 

